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Planning my 30th Birthday with Events Full Circle

Yesterday was my 30th birthday! It’s so crazy to be entering a new decade when I feel like I just turned 20… how is this possible?

I’d been planning my milestone birthday party for months and was so excited to have some of my favorite people join me at a local brewery to ring in a new decade, but the universe had other plans and COVID-19 threw a wrench in my party plan.

Since I couldn’t change the fact that I had to celebrate a major birthday at home, I changed plans quickly and Steph jumped in to save the day! Steph is my former co-worker/work wife. She had twins in the Fall and has an energetic toddler at home to balance as well! She made the switch to staying at home this Spring and while I couldn’t be happier for her, I definitely miss seeing her everyday!

However, she is kicking butt and launched a new event planning business, Events Full Circle, where she helps plan parties big and small so you don’t have to stress about the details! She added virtual party planning to her list of services (brilliant!) and I was so thankful when she reached out asking if I wanted to work together on a virtual 30th birthday party!

It’s a unique thing being an event planner and planning your own events. I think the assumption is made that it’s easy and enjoyable, but during an unpredictable time when we are all taking it day by day, I was very grateful to have her step in.

I want to share the process of planning my virtual 30th birthday party with Steph so you can get a sense of her offerings and because I’ll always be her number one hype girl! 🙂

Initial Planning Call with Steph

It was such a treat to FaceTime with Steph and start talking about the party! We went over the theme and decor that I had picked out for my Lisa Frank 30th and some of the things I had planned for the evening. I had already built a Pinterest board for my own planning purposes so I added Steph as a collaborator and she set off to work on a plan of action!

Mood Board & Party Plan

A day or two later Steph sent over a mood board with her vision for the party and I loved it immediately.

She came up with really creative and fun ways to engage my virtual party go-er’s and accomplish the following goals:

No forced interactions- we wanted guests to feel like they could pop in and out whenever they wanted. The original party was going to be in a brewery where guests could gone and go as they pleased and we wanted to mimic that in this virtual version as well.

A single “birthday” moment- we picked a time (midway through the hour long party) when we could encourage guests to be present to sing Happy Birthday and so I could blow out the candles. Guests could come prior to that, start their visit at that time or come for JUST that moment.

A fun game/activity that guests could easily pop in and out of- no one was expected to stay for any predetermined length of time so we wanted a game that we could play with anyone for as long or as little as they’d like. 90’s trivia and Madlibs were perfect!

A vibrant and fun theme- I went into this planning session knowing I wanted a fun 90’s/Lisa Frank inspired birthday party that people could get into and interact with the theme. Steph had tons of ideas on ways the guests could embrace the theme with what they had in their own homes already

Party Plan

Once I gave Steph a thumbs up to the mood board, she finalized and sent over the Party Plan! I’m not sure what I was expecting, but she surpassed all of my expectations. The Party Plan detailed decorations (with purchase links), potential cocktails and cake recipes (complete with a shopping list), games/activities (she even included a cootie catcher!) and more. Having it all planned out was so helpful to me because some days it was too overwhelming to think about what a Zoom birthday party would look like, but she had thought of it all.

With a shelter in place/stay at home order for Maryland it wasn’t easy to get all of the supplies I would normally like to have, but Steph’s checklist (and Amazon/Instacart) made it easier! I ordered a fun sequin streamer backdrop and 3-0 balloons from Amazon along with a fun Vintage 1990 t-shirt to wear for the party. I also did an Instacart order for the birthday cake (Carvel ice cream cake) and candles.

Playing with Lisa Frank Instagram filters while getting ready.

The party was a success and it was incredibly overwhelming (in a good way) to see so many people that I love in one place. Staying at home for over a month has taken a toll on all of us and our mental health, but being able to see faces and talk to each person briefly made all the difference. While I would have loved to hug them all individually, this was a pretty great alternative to what a normal party used to be!

I was too busy partying and forgot to get a screen grab of everyone! Stealing this from my cousin!

I cannot recommend Steph highly enough! Not only is she an amazing event planner, but she has the purest heart and really loves making magical moments with her clients to remember for years to come. If you are interested in learning more about Events Full Circle click HERE.

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Hi! I’m Meggy D and I’m in
the middle- the middle of
life between just getting
married and starting a family.
I’m in that weird little squiggle
of my story where it’s just me, Bub
and our two sweet pups, Marley & Cannoli. Join me as I explore life
and experience growth in myself and
my marriage before we add little
Italian babes to the mix!